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Toyota reaches 5 milllion sold cars in Australia
Toyota brought the first car Down Under in the early 60s, and it took it a good 20 years before selling 100,000 vehicles on the continent. After 47 years of importing its products, Toyota sold its 5 millionth cumulative vehicle last month in Australia. Consistently one of Toyota’s strongest global markets, Australians have bought about 2.9 million Toyota passenger cars and 2.1 million commercial vehicles. Toyota says that it hit the 4 million milestone about five years ago. IN comparison, in the last two years saw sales of a comparative 100,000 cars. In total, the mighty Japanese carmaker has now sold 5 million vehicles on the continent. Toyota says its all-time best-selling model in Australia is its Corolla sedan and hatchback lineup with about 1.1 million models sold, representing about one in five Toyotas in the market.
Toyota FT-86 Getting More Expensive
According to a report from Japan’s Best Car Magazine, the release date of the FT-86 has been shifted back two years, which could mean 2013. Maybe. According to Best Car, the reasons are that the design is being revised, and that Toyota thinks there may be a better time than now to release a sports car.
For a stylish, “very driftable” 2.0-liter, rear-wheel drive coupe with a 6-speed manual and roughly 200 hp, that price sounds about right. But for a bargain-basement-priced concept that was supposed to inject some interest back into Toyota’s lower-end sports car lineup, the price hike will be a slap in the face to those beancounters who so meticulously brought the concept onto the ‘can do’ table. It goes without saying that the higher expected price will adversely affect the Subaru equivalent, the other “FT-86″ destined to wear a seven-star badge.
Well, the base price of Toyota FT-86 is now supposed to float at nearly $23,000 along with the fully optioned model clearing which is available at $26,000. There is a valid reason to admire this car with its proper price and that reason is its amazing styling as well as very driftable 2.0-liter, rear-wheel drive coupe along with a six-speed manual. This makes the car to deliver 200 horsepower, which ultimately sounds right as far as the price is concerned.
Toyota may get second U.S. fine for delay in reporting pedal flaw
Pedals supplied to Toyota by CTS Corp. of Elkhart, Ind., “had two separate defects that may require two separate remedies,” NHTSA said in the letter obtained Friday, which cited documents submitted by Toyota. A recall in January of 2.3 million vehicles involved pedals that were slow to return after being depressed as well as pedals on various vehicles that could become stuck.
Toyota, based in Toyota City, Japan, has recalled more than 8 million cars and trucks worldwide for two defects that may cause unintended acceleration and to adjust brakes. President Akio Toyoda has said the company his grandfather founded failed to share defect information adequately among regional units.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement this week that Toyota “knowingly hid a dangerous defect” by waiting four months to alert regulators to problems involving unintended acceleration and braking.
In the April 5 letter to Toyota, NHTSA said an official from the Japanese parent company who wasn’t identified “inexplicably” told the carmaker’s North American engineering unit on Oct. 21, 2009, not to make the same design change to CTS pedals for U.S. vehicles that was already under way for those in Europe.
Toyota has yet to provide a detailed response to NHTSA’s assessment and LaHood’s comments. The company has until April 19 to tell regulators whether it will accept or contest the $16.4 million fine.
Toyota Recalls Millions
Toyota recalls millions of unsafe vehicles. The Toyota massive quagmire most likely won’t take down this Goliath in the car industry, but it will hurt the company. It’s going to be a long time for this Japanese car manufacturer to re-gain our trust again.
It looks like 2010 just isn’t going to be Toyota’s year. In less than a month, the Japanese mega-giant car manufacturer has been humbled, a mighty goliath brought down by a tiny stone. Well, maybe that’s how some might see it. However, the stone isn’t quite so tiny. When important parts of a vehicle, like the gas pedal and brakes, begin to malfunction, it cannot be taken likely.
The worst is far from over. Millions of vehicles have been returned; the company CEO is offering mea culpa’s to the driving public and Congress is holding hearings over the company’s behaviour leading up to the recall. Sales are down 10 per cent at least. Resale values of the models included in the recall have plummeted. How did this all start? It was one phone call to 9-1-1.
In November 2005, Toyota it was looking at redesigning the floor mats, reconfiguring the acceleration system and putting in a brake override system. But on January 21st, 2010, Toyota went ahead and recalled several of their top models, admitting there was a problem with the accelerator pedal that was not a result of the floor mat. The recall included some of Toyota’s most popular models, like the RAV4, Corolla, Highlander and Camry, one of the best-selling cars in the world. On the 26th, Toyota announced they would be suspending sales and production of the models affected by the recall. The next day, the 27th, the recall involving the floor mat problem is widened and includes models like the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe. Lexus is not immune from the problem either. Several models, including the ES 350 are on the list of vehicles Toyota believes have a faulty accelerator.
By February 1st, Toyota had a solution to the problem and sent out replacement parts to dealerships. It seemed the worst has past, even with members of the US government making critical statements in the media. On Feb. 5th, Akio Toyoda, president and CEO of Toyota, apologized to the world at a press conference. He vowed the company would improve.
Then the other shoe fell. On February 9th, Toyota recalled the Prius, citing problems with the braking system. The number of vehicles recalled by the company now stands at a staggering 8.5 million. Given that the Prius is the most popular hybrid vehicle in the world, that’s a lot of cars going back to the dealership. Three days later, Toyota announced another recall, this time regarding the 2010 Tacoma. This recall is minor, with only 8,000 vehicles included. The problem this time was a problem with the front propeller shaft that could cause the vehicle to lose control.
The most recent recall came on Feb. 17th, with the company announcing that there was problem with the steering system in the 2008 and 2009 Scion XD and the 2009 and 2010 Corolla.
What’s more, it appears that the company waited on announcing the first recalls in a bid to save money. Recently released documents reveal that the company negotiated with US regulators to delay and limit the initial recall made in November, 2009. Doing this saved the company close to $100 million.
At least three class-action lawsuits have been filed in US courts regarding the sudden acceleration problem. None have reached any decision regarding Toyota’s culpability in the matter. The behaviour of the company has raised the ire of US lawmakers and the company now faces hearing before Congress and potential criminal charges. When asked if he would appear at the hearing to address the concerns of lawmakers, CEO Toyoda initially said he would send a subordinate in his place, but as the situation has become graver, he has said he will appear himself.
What does this mean for Toyota? It is no longer the golden boy of the automotive industry. Its reputation has taken a severe hit as people can no longer accept the safety of their cars at a glance. Instead, a lot of penance will have to be made. However, the company is nothing if not resilient. It will most likely come through this episode having to pay a small fortune in damages to the members of the class-action suits. It will probably have to pay several fines in restitution for its lackadaisical reaction to the complaints made about their cars. Sales will suffer for a time but will rebound as Toyota proves it is a safe, reliable car manufacturer.
Will Toyota achieve the heights it was at prior to the recall? It is possible. The company is an innovator and leader amongst car manufacturers around the world. Investments in green technology will make in attractive to eco-conscious buyers. The obvious investments into safety technology and design will also help rebuild consumer confidence in the brand. The recall has knocked Toyota down, but it is far from out.
Toyota Camry 2010
The Toyota Camry is the best-selling sedan in the U.S. The Camry is known for its comfortable interior and gentle ride quality. It is far from the sportiest offering in the midsize class. The Camry is a front-wheel drive, five-passenger, four-door sedan featuring four trims: Base, LE, SE, and XLE. All Camry models are available with a new 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, which replaces a 2.4-liter engine.
Base, LE, and XLE have 169 hp, while the SE has 179 hp. A 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission is available. The Hybrid continues to team a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder gas engine with a battery-powered electric motor for 187 hp. Like Toyota’s other hybrids, it runs on one or both of its power sources depending on driving conditions and requires no plug-in charging. It uses a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).
Camry also has an upgraded standard powertrain for 2010. A new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine equipped with variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i) will produce 169 hp for Camry, LE and XLE grades. For sporty performance, SE grade get additional tuning and gets 179 horsepower, 21 more horsepower than the previous four-cylinder engine. The new engine can be combined with a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift. A powerful 3.5-liter V6 delivering 268 horsepower is also available.
Two new four-cylinder engines are available. For the first time on a Camry, they team with a six-speed automatic transmission to help improve fuel economy; a six-speed manual is standard. The SE uses a more powerful engine than base, LE and XLE models; it makes 179 horsepower instead of 169 hp.
Base models have new front styling, including a redesigned grille with chrome trim and new, larger headlights.
Exterior changes to the gas model Camry include a newly designed grille and front bumper, an enlarged lower intake, larger projector headlamps and restyled tail lamps. The Camry and LE grades feature restyled standard wheel covers. The XLE grade will run on new 16-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, while the SE grade adds new 17-inch sporty alloy wheels.
Buyers of the four-cylinder engine will have a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions, while those who opt for the V6 will get the six-speed automatic with sequential mode to allow drivers to shift manually if they desire.
The interior features a newly designed gas mileage gauge, and the center display not only features an optional voice-activated DVD navigation system, but hybrid power flow and ECO Level gauges. An AM/FM CD player with MP3/WMA playback capability, auxiliary audio jack and six speakers are standard, while a JBL AM/FM 6-disc CD player with eight speakers, satellite radio and Bluetooth capability are available. Standard features include dual-zone automatic climate controls, a leather-wrapped tilt/telescopic steering wheel (with audio controls), trip computer, a universal garage door opener, High Solar Energy-Absorbing (HSEA) glass, and a multi-function remote keyless entry and starting system.
A moonroof and leather seats (with heated upgrades for front passengers) are optional. There’s good back support with the eight-way power-adjustable seats, and soft seat cushions made my long drives doable, even with the SE’s stiff suspension. For a sport model, the SE’s front seats don’t have aggressive side bolstering to keep you from sliding around, but carving corners isn’t the Camry’s strong suit, so it’s not a deal-breaker.
The Camry, LE, and XLE all ride on standard 16-inch steel or aluminum wheels while the sportier SE model is equipped with 17-inch, six-spoke aluminum wheels as standard.
Standard equipment includes air conditioning, power windows and door locks, color-keyed side mirrors, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, and a six-speaker 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with auxiliary audio jack. To make the ride even more entertaining, opt for the voice-activated navigation system with 440-watt JBL premium audio package.
When it comes to comfort, fuel economy, durability, style and eco-friendliness it’s almost a no-brainer. The 2010 Toyota Camry has evolved to become a leader in the hybrid revolution.